


Spaceship

by Angel_made_of_scars



Category: Adam (2009), Charlie Countryman (2013)
Genre: Aspergers, Autism, M/M, Mentions of Beth, Spacedogs, Stim Toys
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-06-29
Updated: 2017-06-29
Packaged: 2018-11-21 05:46:35
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,732
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11351124
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Angel_made_of_scars/pseuds/Angel_made_of_scars
Summary: Master pickpocket, Nigel, takes Adams favorite stim toy on accident.





	Spaceship

He's on his regular route, when he sees the kid. Skinny, but not too much. Nice sweater, if made for an old man. He's staring at the sky, outside the restaurant, and he's with a girl. She tries to take his hand but he fidgets away, reaching into his pockets.

He's messing with something, probably a coin, like most people that play with things in their pockets have. He saunters over, and he performs.

The girls seems delighted by his magic tricks, but the man, he's shaken when Nigel reaches into his pocket to grab his card, and... something. It feels like a model car. Could still be worth something.

He tucks his new charm into his pocket and saunters off. He walks quickly in case the man checks his pockets.

* * *

When he gets to the motel, he checks his pockets. A wallet, a few gold dollar coins, one silver one, and his cards. And the car. He thinks of the gorgeous boy as he pulls it out, and stops.

This is not a car. It's a spaceship. I nice spaceship. It's realistic and looks hand painted. It's incredible detail stuns him. He holds it up above him and looks at it with the light behind it. He can almost see it in space.

He tucks it back in his pocket, and decides then and there that it's his new good luck charm. Maybe it'll bring him some actual cash. Moving from Romania had been a bad idea.

* * *

He's on his night route when he sees the young man a second time. His compassion takes over when he sees that the boy is crying, and pulling at his hair. He jogs over and puts a hand on his shoulder, startling him so bad he shouts.

"Easy darling, what's wrong?" Nigel asked. The man looks up, recognizing his voice, and seems to get even more frantic.

"You looked in my pockets! Have you seen it?! Do you have it?! Did you take it?!" He yells. He's getting angry, and Nigel grabs his flapping hands.

"What are you looking for?" Nigel asks.

He takes a few breaths before his eyes role back and he collapses to the ground. Nigel, becoming alarmed, bends down and grabs him, dragging him to lean against the brick wall of the restaurant. He was taking shallow breaths, but he was conscious. Maybe the spaceship was some kind of strange American inhaler.

"What's your name kid?"

"I'm not a kid." He breathed heavily.

"Well ok not-kid, I'm Nigel. Where's your fucking girl?" Nigel asked.

"S-She left me. I got angry, and scared, and she left me because I yelled." He panted.

"You need to calm down darling." Nigel said. The man took a few breaths and pressed his hands together, pressing them to his lips.

"My names Adam, not darling. I need my model. I get stressed without my model. This is the last place I had it." He said frantically. Nigel sighed.

"Your spaceship darling?"

Adam ignored the nickname and grabbed Nigels shirt. He looked like he might pass out again from how hard he was breathing, and Nigel shushed him. He took deep breaths, and Adam copied him.

"I'm going to explain something to you dear Adam. I am a dangerous man. I take what I do not have, namely at the moment money. I took your spaceship Adam. I thought it was valuable, but it clearly means more to you then me. Would you like it back?" Nigel asked. Adam nodded.

"Well as I said darling, I am a dangerous man. You may not tell anyone of my... hobby. I'll lose my business. Do you understand? A spaceship for your silence?"

Adam nodded frantically and stuck out his shaking hands. Nigel pulled the spaceship from his pocket. Adam eagerly grabbed it. He smelled it, then felt it with his fingers, looking for imperfections. As he started to calm down, he held it up above his head, and Nigel was going to ignore it, but Adam didn't move. He just stared at it above his head. Nigel sat down next to Adam and sighed. 

"What are you doing darling?"

"I imagine my spaceship is flying in space, and I'm in it. I'm in the stars, going very fast, but I don't feel it. I'm going towards the moon. I'm floating inside my spaceship, where's there's oxygen and I can have my helmet off. I look out the window and can see constellations. I'm safe." Adam said, breathless for a whole new reason now.

"So you're a spaceman?" Nigel questioned. Adam shook his head.

"I'm not a spaceman, I've never been to space, but I do work at the observatory. I research the stars and-"

Adam was cut off by the laugh that bubbled from Nigel. He clicked his teeth together, and stopped talking. Nigel turned to look at him and put a cigarette in his mouth. He lit up, then waved his hand to continue, but Adam didn't.

"Why aren't you talking about the stars, spaceman?" Nigel asked.

"You laughed. People laugh or get angry when I talk too much."

"Adam, darling, I wasn't laughing at your fucking speech." Nigel said. Adam looked at him quizzically.

"I was laughing because I told you I'm a dangerous man, stole your toy, and after you got better you didn't run away from me. You talked about the stars." 

"I'm not afraid of you. You steal because you're poor and you don't seem dangerous."

"What if I told you I've killed men before?" Nigel asked. Adam seemed to blank.

"You're... you're a killer?" Adam asked. He lowered his spaceship and rubbed his hands over it.

"I'm a drug dealer, was. Had a bit of a fight. I got shot, and I ran from my home. I came here with nothing."

"So you steal money? For food?" Adam guessed.

"And a shitty motel room, and a pack of cigarettes. All I need." Nigel said. He puffed out smoke, and Adam watched it billow away.

"Why don't you get a job?" Adam asked.

"Because star, people test my fucking patience."

"Do I test your patience?" Adam asked. Nigel looked him up and down, then breathed smoke in his face. Adam coughed, and Nigel laughed.

"Do I?" He shot back. Adam stood up.

"I... goodbye Nigel. Thank you for my spaceship." Adam said. Nigel didn't get to say goodbye as Adam rushed away.

* * *

It was a week later that he felt a tap on his shoulder, in the middle of one of his card tricks. He was going to ignore it, but the tapping became obsessive, and he had to stop.

"You'll have to pardon me." He apologized to the couple, swinging around. He was ready to throw a punch, until he looked down at Adams face.

"You're back."

"You can have a job, at my house. I like cleanliness, you would dust, sweep, and put away dishes when needed. I would pay you a small amount, enough for cigarettes and a bit extra, and it would built up. You could save for a place of your own, but until then, you could sleep on the couch." Adam explained.

"You really thought this out star. I still don't scare you?"

"You have to like macaroni and cheese, because that's what I eat. You can do whatever you like during the day as long as the tasks get done by eight pm. I- actually I said you can do whatever you like but I changed my mind. You can't sell drugs, or kill people, or pickpocket." Adam continued, ignoring him. Nigel laughed.

"So you're trying to turn me into a fucking house wife."

"You are in no way my wife."

"House husband?" Nigel purred. Adam blushed bright red and his eyes went wide, making Nigel smile. He took out a cigarette, and Adam took it from him and held it up.

"These will be smoked in the hallway, or on the balcony with the door closed. No smoking in my home." Adam said. He handed it back and Nigel lit up before answering him.

"This isn't an offer is it?"

"I didn't intent it to be, no." 

"Why are you housing and giving a job to a dangerous Romanian man, Adam?" Nigel puffed.

"Romanian. I couldn't place it." Adam commented.

"Star, answer the question."

"I don't like to see people suffering... and I feel... good, around you. You don't scare me. I believe you can be a good man."

"What makes you believe that?" Nigel asked.

"You gave me my spaceship."

"Well... you needed it, you were barely breathing. You were- you were having a fucking fit!"

"And you showed compassion, you didn't want that to happen to me, and most people would have ignored me and walked away. So I think you are good." Adam said. Nigel sighed.

He was fucking right. He didn't want this young man to suffer, especially at his hands. He took another drag from his cigarette and looked towards Adam. He looked like he was preparing for a punch, but Nigel blew the smoke away from him slowly, and Adam nodded to himself.

"See? You- you didn't-"

"I know I fucking didn't. I'll... I'll take the job." 

"You will?"

"Yes star, I'll take the fucking job." Nigel said. He looked towards Adam, who looked proud of himself.

"Alright, we should get your clothes from your motel and get you to my apartment, tonight." Adam said. He started to walk away, and when he realized Nigel wasn't following, he turned around and came back.

"You meant now?" Nigel chuckled.

"Yes, tonight. Implied, before the night is over. It's already nearing midnight, and I hate staying up past my scheduled time, but I couldn't sleep, I had to come find you. What are you doing right now?"

"I'm finishing my cigarette, and then I'm finishing my magic acts for the night." Nigel smiled. Adam frowned.

"No, I said no more pickpocketing, and you accepted the job-"

"You don't understand joking very well, do you darling?" Nigel asked.

"Not most of the time, no." Adam answered honestly. Nigel nodded.

"Alright... we'll go after I finish my cigarette. Why don't you look at the stars while I enjoy?" Nigel suggested. Adam nodded.

He pulled the spaceship from his pocket and held it up high. He looked at it and smiled. Nigel smiled too.


End file.
